Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Roddy White has caught 447 passes during his NFL career, but his watershed moment came on one that got away.

The Falcons trailed the Saints by six points in an NFC South game in Atlanta on Nov. 26, 2006. On a third-and-9 play from the New Orleans 37, White beat a Saints defensive back down the left sideline and was open at the 10. And then he dropped Michael Vick’s pass.

“That scared me, going out and dropping that pass while being wide open instead of giving my team an opportunity to win,” White said recently after a practice at the Falcons’ training camp in Flowery Branch, Ga. “It was probably the biggest failure I’ve ever had in my life.”

White, who was demoted from starter to No. 3 wideout for the rest of the 2006 season, decided he would not let that happen again. He became more focused. He started catching passes before and after practice. He went out on the field early and ran routes or cone drills—whatever it took to make him better.

And better he became.

Going into his seventh season, White may not be a flawless gem, but he has evolved into one of the premier wideouts in the league. After a consistent stretch of three seasons (2007-09) in which he caught 83, 88 and 85 passes, White erupted last year with a league-leading 115 receptions for 1,389 yards and 10 touchdowns for the AFC South-champion Falcons.

“Roddy played as well as any wide receiver in the league,” Falcons coach Mike Smith said. “I think he’s playing at the top level. He’s running extremely disciplined routes. He’s running with speed. He’s running off the ball.”

There were several factors behind White’s megaproduction last season, which earned him his third consecutive selection to the Pro Bowl.

First, he had a lot of opportunities. White was the most-targeted receiver in the league, as 179 passes were thrown his way.

Second, the Falcons took White out of a lot of double-coverage situations by moving him around on the field. He lined up split wide, in the slot, in the backfield and even at the tight end position.

Third, quarterback Matt Ryan continued to become one of the most accurate passers. Ryan gets rid of the ball quickly, and after three seasons he and White have developed a solid rapport.

White helped himself by continuing to study more game tape and look at how defenses were trying to defend him. That’s another thing that has helped separate him from other receivers in the NFL.

“There are a lot of wideouts that are talented,” White said. “You’ve just got to understand what (defenses) are trying to throw at you, how they’re trying to cover you during games.”

If opponents had trouble covering White, imagine how challenged they’ll be when he and Julio Jones, Atlanta’s first-round pick from Alabama, line up together this season.

“He’s a big guy—big, strong, very athletic—who can run. He’s the total package,” White said of Jones, who was coveted so much by the Falcons that they were willing to give up five draft picks to Cleveland to move up and select him with the sixth pick overall.

“In camp, he’s been doing an excellent job of attacking the ball, catching a lot of passes. He’s going to be a great addition to our offense, because everything I do, he can do. Having a guy like that who can go out and dominate people is going to take a whole lot of pressure off me.”

Another thing that has helped White win many hand-to-hand battles with cornerbacks is his background in wrestling. In addition to lettering in football and baseball at James Island High School in Charleston, S.C., he was a two-time state wrestling champion at the 152-pound level. He often pinned his opponents with a move that was coined the “Shanaz.”

If White continues to torment opponents like he has the last four seasons, they’ll have to come up with a name for his moves on the football field, too.